Written by Mason Vander Lugt, Syracuse University catalog librarian and proprietor of the historical music blog Dinosaur Discs.

Ruth Wallis’ “Dear Mr. Godfrey” riffs on Godfrey’s ironic choice of words in justifying the dismissal as a result of LaRosa’s “lack of humility”. LaRosa primarily sought an agent because his recordings for fellow Godfrey ‘family member’ Archie Bleyer’s Cadence record company were selling well and seemed to be another promising endeavor for the rising star. Though he would spend more of his career in television and radio, his early recordings sold well and played a large part in his sudden rise to fame. You can hear these below.